Criticism and the Writer

by Jewel Leann Williams

Unless you are writing a journal entry, or a secret document you never intend the world to see, you will endure criticism. Anyone who reads your book, poem, short story, or blog entry, will have thoughts about it, whether they express them or not.

Your words will resonate with them--or they won't.

Your characters, the setting, your pacing--all of those things will either engage them, or they won't.

So, why not get some good, solid criticism before you let your words go public, so that you can change those things that need to be corrected, before it's too late?

Well, because asking people whose opinion you value to possibly tell you things they don't like about this thing you've been pouring your soul into, is absolutely frightening, that's why!

Many writers are so terrified to hear that their "baby" is actually really ugly, that they don't ever present to critique groups or beta readers.

What's worse, some writers are so invested in their project that even if they do have beta readers, when those readers outline all the things that are wrong with the book, the writer has a meltdown. Sometimes they go on Facebook to get validation and commiseration, they may discount the criticism, or possibly take it so much to heart that they don't touch the project again.

These things ought not to be. With this in mind, I present the following steps to receiving criticism as a writer (I am talking about the kind of criticism you ASK for: critique groups, beta readers, etc.):

Step 1: Say, "Thank you."   You did, after all, ask for them to read and comment. They sacrificed time to read your project.

Step 2: get out the salt. You will need at least one grain of it to take with each comment.  You have to take into account that everyone has their own pre-established likes, dislikes, and idiosyncrasies that will color their perception of your work.

Step 3: Keep this advice from Neil Gaiman in mind:

When people say "This doesn't work for me," there is always a reason. However, the reason may be completely different than what they think it is. Pay attention to those things that are unsettling to your beta readers, but be aware that their solution is not necessarily the solution.

Step 4: Pray or meditate on it.  I believe that God wants me to use my talents as a writer to help His children.  Because of that, I also believe that He will direct me in the use of my writing, if I ask Him. That may not be your belief, but I promise if you take time to reflect on the things that your beta readers have told you, you can be more mindful of what changes you need to make and which ones are not necessary.

Step 5: Be true to yourself; true to your story.  But don't be afraid to "kill your darlings" if necessary.  IF NECESSARY. You don't have to. Sometimes one reader may not like something that may be perfectly wonderful to another. YOU get the final say.

Step 6: Do it all over again. Make changes, get feedback. Make more changes, get more feedback. Think of it as sanding furniture, or polishing a stone or a car... you refine, refine, refine, with finer grit sandpaper, until you can truly see the gem shining through.

What advice do YOU have for writers dealing with critiques? Post in the comments!

Everyone's Bathroom Has Quirks

Note: I am writing this from my phone, so please be a little compassionate toward my errors. Pretty please?

My family and I are on vacation right now, visiting family and friends in Salt Lake City, Utah. We're having a grand time, and it's nice on the budget to be visiting people we know because we get to stay at their houses.

While we've been doing this, I noticed something. Everyone's house has quirks, weird little things that don't work right or make strange noises or whatever. This is especially noticeable in the bathroom, probably because it's such a private place (so asking for explanations can be awkward) and probably because you really have to use that room at some point.

The thing is, everyone is used to their own bathroom's quirks, so we hardly ever notice them. For example, in my bathroom, we have two toilet seats. One is a smaller version insert into the larger version. It's for our little kids when they're learning to use the toilet, so it's extra small. I'd never thought about it, though, until a friend came out of the bathroom and said, very awkwardly, "Soooo, your toilet seat is kinda small." I realized she used the kiddie seat because it isn't obvious that the other seat is under it! This is something I never thought to mention.

Staying at my sister's house, I've discovered that the pipes to her downstairs bathroom sounds like a moaning ghost when the water is running. This is a sounds she's used to but that surprised me a bit. And at my in-laws house, there's a bathtub that doesn't have a shower, which was so crazily weird to me when I first discovered it. And at a friend's house, the hot water comes out of the sink scorching. Oh, and there's the sink handle at another house that I accidentally pulled off when I turned it! Fortunately, it was broken before I came along. But you get the point -- all houses have quirks, and we get used to our own.

Now what does this all have to do with writing? Okay, originally it had nothing to do with writing. I was just in the shower desperately trying to come up with an MMW post (and also desperately trying to get the water temperature right) when I thought of it.

But then I realized actually it does relate. In our own manuscripts, just like in our own houses, we get used to the weird stuff and the stuff that doesn't work right. We sometimes barely notice it or maybe don't even see it at all! We need beta readers (or whatever you want to call them) to look at our stories with fresh eyes and see what isn't working. They'll notice the jiggly flusher or the creaky tiles when we won't.

And they can't all be our critique partners. Our critique partners have essentially been living in these houses with us, or at least visiting often enough that they too miss the stuff that isn't right. Maybe you had a scene that explained why the character acted a certain way, but then you pulled that scene out. Your critique partners still understand, but your future readers wouldn't get it. Enter the beta reader! They find and help you fix those quirks before they go to your readers.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against houses having quirks or unfinished projects. Such is life. But if you're planning on selling your house, you're gonna have to fix a lot of that stuff. To you it may be charming or at least invisible, but to a prospective buyer, it isn't. Same goes for a story. Do you want your readers to "buy" it? Then fix it up.

Multiple Personality Dis... Our Constantly Changing Perspective

By Lacey Gunter

Hey MMWs, if you're anything like me, you have a complicated relationship with your manuscripts. Sometimes when I read one of my manuscripts I think it is awesome. I am sure it will make a great childrens book and I am really excited about trying to get it published.

A couple of months later I will read that same manuscript and think, "Uugh, what did I think was so great about this manuscript? It needs a lot of work" I will be disgusted with it and brain storm about how to fix it, or worse, not want to even to look at it or think about it.

Time will pass and someone will ask me about the same manuscript. I will pull it out to try and fix it and think "Hey, this manuscript is pretty good. Why did I think it was so bad? It was really funny." Then I will get excited about it all over again.

Whether the manuscript is truly good or not is difficult to say. It is also not the topic I want to write about. What interests me is how our perception of our writing and our stories is affected by our current emotional status, our outlook and the experiences were are having at the moment.

When we are grouchy or unhappy with ourselves or our current situation, that affects how we react to and interpret the things that happen to us.  It will also affect how we view our writing or our stories. Likewise when we are happy, excited, worried, whatever.

I am sure that this information comes as no surprise to any of you. But how often do we take this into consideration when we are getting feedback on our work from critique partners and reviewers? No matter how good our story or writing is, we should expect that some of that feedback we get will be negative; if for no other reason that the fact that the people who are looking at our work are human and will have good days and bad days that color the way they see and interpret the world.

So think about that the next time your get a critique or review that totally rips apart everything you have done. Stop, take a breath, calm down, go to sleep, and wake up and look at it from a new perspective. It is constantly changing.

What's Your Story?

- a post by Jeanna Mason Stay

Today at MMW finds me trying to kill two birds with one stone. I am part of a homeschool co-op that meets for two eight-week sessions during the regular school year. This coming year, I’ll be teaching (theoretically) a writing class directed toward kids ages 8–12, and I’ve been working on the class description.

The last description I wrote for this class was crazy boring, which is a shame because I think the class itself is actually going to be tremendously fun. Card games, story dice, ad-libbed stories, art projects like dioramas of settings and portraits of characters. Plus watching movie clips, listening to music, a multimedia extravaganza! So I have tried to jazz it up.

The class is for our co-op, and most of the classes there are fun, not strictly academic. This class will certainly involve a fair amount of writing, but it isn’t supposed to be a heavy-hitting language arts class. It’s supposed to provide a fun exploration of what goes into a story and how to write one—along with a lot of practice.

Now I need your help! Does the class description below sound fun? Does it make sense? Should I add anything from my description above? If you were a kid, would you want to take this class? It’s critique time! (And thanks in advance for any critique you’d like to offer. Unless your critique is, “That’s a terrible idea, Jeanna. Start over and teach something else.” Then you can just keep your opinion to yourself. :) )

What’s Your Story?

Stories are everywhere! Books and movies, of course, but also music, video games, even commercials! Come learn what makes an awesome story, and practice different ways to tell tales of your own. We’ll play games, watch and listen to short movie and music clips, invent new and interesting people and places, and, of course, write stories. Create superheroes and supervillains, then imagine how they would fight to the death . . . for the last slice of pizza! Practice inventing unsolvable problems and force your characters to solve them! Imagine explanations for mysterious drawings and photos! Build on each week’s projects and tasks to create a final polished short story as well as a bunch of exciting ideas along the way. Mystery? Fantasy? Action adventure? What will be your story?

Materials: Half-inch, 3-ring binder with pockets; lined paper in binder; several pencils and pens; materials for drawing (markers, colored pencils, crayons—whatever your child prefers); if your child struggles with the physical writing, you may also consider a voice recorder so he/she can dictate and you can type any at-home assignments

Class fee: $7 (there may also be an additional optional fee of about $7 at the end of class for a bound collection of class projects)

Genre Dilemma

By Lacey Gunter

So I have this funny picture book manuscript I love. I wrote it for readers ages 6-9. I know 6-9 year-olds still read picture books because I see it all the time, in my house, in the library and at schools. Despite the push for kids to start reading more advanced books at earlier ages, older kids still love picture books and they read them. Even kids that are reading more advanced books often still love a good picture book.

So when I wrote this manuscript, I didn't think it was a big deal targeting it toward 6-9 year-olds.  Then, I went to a little writing retreat a month and a half ago and had the manuscript critiqued by a children's book agent. She thought the manuscript was funny and entertaining, but that is was a little too mature for the 'typical' picture book audience. She felt like that age range was to old of a target audience and that I should consider either turning it into an early chapter book or lower the stakes a little bit and make it more appealing to a younger audience.

I have considered the issue a lot and tried several ideas, all without success. So far, all my attempts at targeting it toward a younger audience have resulted in a loss of the humorous ending and changing the inherent nature of the conflict.  I have tried to infuse the same level of humor in other ways, but they seem to come out too far fetched or they are too flat.  

Similarly, much of the pace, timing and funny ending don't fit well with a longer manuscript. Not to mention that the early chapter book market is even harder to break into than the picture book market, and the picture book market is hard enough as it is.

So I am not sure where to go from here. Do I table the manuscript and try to come back to it at some later date? Do I keep putting effort into trying to make it better fit within a particular genre? Or do I just leave it the way it is and hope that other agents or editors feel differently? I'm not really sure what to do. What do you think? When any of you have faced dilemmas like this, what did you do? The business of writing is so much more complicated than the actual act of writing. Sigh.

Throwing Planks at Your Windows

Last weekend, I was listening to “Rosie on the House,” a home improvement radio show. They were at the Pella window factory (in Pella, Iowa!) and Rosie was squeeing like a fanboy at Comicon about all of the cool machines they use to test the strength, durability, and awesomeness of their windows. The Pella people put their product through a plethora of performance (p) evaluations, from extreme temperature ovens that subject the windows to extreme heat and cold. I won’t say what the exact temperatures are, because I don’t remember the exact ones. But it was in the “humans can’t survive this heat/cold” range—well beyond what a window should reasonably be expected to withstand. Pella has tests for “forced entry resistance” where they put pressure on the product to make sure it won’t be an easy target for burglars. Rosie’s favorite test involved a machine that hurls 2x4 planks of wood at the windows to test them for resistance to breakage.  Pella also pulls five windows off their assembly line and sends them directly to testing for performance ratings, compared with many manufacturers that pull windows, tweak and calibrate them, and then send them to the performance rating tests. The result of all the extreme testing is that Pella is considered one of the Rolls Royces of windows.

What does this have to do with writing? Well, Pella wants their windows to be the best, so they subject them to testing that borders on outrageously overdone—if the Earth ever got as cold as what they are testing their windows for, the occupants would already by dead. Winds strong enough to throw full planks of wood at windows would have already sent the whole house over the rainbow. Nevertheless, Pella knows that if it can withstand those extremes, then everything else will be easily overcome. They want to be sure that their product is the best it can be.

Are you willing to do that to your book/poem/short story/magazine article? We don’t have machines to test our writing—we have critiques and beta testers. Just like manufacturers (window, car, tire, etc.) throw their worst at their product, we should be putting our work through stringent and repeated testing to make sure it can hold up to the standards that editors, readers, reviewers will place on it.  If Pella wasn’t willing to have a few windows break in the name of quality, they shouldn’t be in the window business. If an author isn’t able to handle criticism, even blistering, scathing dislike, then maybe they shouldn’t be in the business. Think of the critiquing in your own close groups, or by family and friends) as heat or pressure testing. A beta read, on the other hand, is more like checking to see if your “window” can withstand a 2x4 at hurricane speed. You need to know if it can, before you send it to an agent.  Welcome the shattering—it means you still have time to fix your product before sending it out to the world.

So, your beta reader breaks your window—ouch. It hurts. The words you wrote came from your soul. This book is your baby—and this reader just called your baby ugly. How should you react? Well, first, don’t punch the reader in the face. You asked for a critique. Be grateful for the honesty.  Secondly, acknowledge that it hurts—but put an expiration date on the pity party. You need to give yourself permission to feel sad about the negative criticism for a few moments (or the time it takes to consume your favorite guilty pleasure treat, or a lunch with friends to commiserate). However, what you do next is what separates the amateur from the professional. Your next choice is whether you sit, with your thin skin, cradling your ego and stroking your “baby” muttering “what do they know,” and “Mommy thinks you’re just beautiful”—okay, I’m being extreme. But think about this—the energy you devote to building your ego back up, getting validation from others about your talent, focusing on how you feel, is energy that you could be spending making your book better. If the engineers at Pella spent any time at all feeling sorry for themselves when a window cracked in the oven or shattered when the board hit it, we would think they were ridiculous—just fix the product! It sounds heartless (and I need to take my own advice, trust me) but it is not about you, it’s about the writing.  A professional just gets back to work, figuring out what didn’t work, and fixing it.

I have chapters and trilogies full of thoughts about this, but you don’t have years (or patience) to read them. Here are a few:

Writing is a craft—yes, it is an art as well, but whereas an amateur relies mostly on raw talent, a professional practices the craft. Professionals are often not satisfied with their own work, because it’s not ready to withstand a hurricane yet—and amateurs think what they have created is so AWESOME that anyone with differing opinions is either mean, misinformed, or just doesn’t understand. Not all criticism is valid, but gives all of it serious consideration. As a professional, you can sift the wheat from the chaff.

A professional at anything separates themselves from their work, even as they throw everything they have into their work. The thick skin, the ability—no, the eagerness­­­­—to accept negative feedback, is a sign of true professional because they know that identifying flaws is the only way to fix flaws.

A professional never argues with criticism. The book is going to be sent out into the world defenseless, so to “yeah but” with your beta readers is pointless. If a beta reader has an issue then you can rest assured that other readers will too. Figure out the problem, and fix it.

A professional doesn’t throw the beta reader under the bus. By this I mean, that the writer shouldn’t kill the messenger, or try to make the beta reader out to be the bad guy. Even if your feelings are totally hurt, have the professionalism to leave them out of it. Getting other people to tell you that your beta reader doesn’t know what they are talking about, that your writing is amazing, blah blah blah, may make you feel better, but it doesn’t make your book better.  

Remember, it’s about the book. It’s not about you. Your book is a window—make sure it can withstand the hurricane before you send it out into the world. If someone finds flaws, fix them.

Have you had a critique that just crushed you? How did you use it to improve your craft?

I Have an Agent! Or, Why We Need CP's

by Katy White

Um, so, I have an agent. A real, honest to goodness, bona fide agent. And she's brilliant, and I love her, and...

Sorry for squeeing in your face like that. I just really can't contain my enthusiasm! The agent is the wickedly talented, one and only Adele Daz...wait, no...it's the ineffable Bree Ogden with D4EO Literary Agency! Not only is she a phenomenal agent, but we also love loads of the same TV, like Brooklyn 99 and The Mindy Project!  So it's like we were made for each other...except, less creepy than I'm starting to sound. Okay, moving on. 

I wrote a few months ago about my experience moving on from my first novel. I'd queried it to about twenty-five, maybe thirty agents, and I'd had some partial requests, but no fulls. I know that isn't an enormous amount of rejection, and I genuinely love the book, but something about it just felt off. So I shelved it.

At the time of that post, I had two other finished manuscripts that I was really excited about, and I was debating which one to focus on. So I sent my second drafts of both to someone I trust implicitly, someone who is very intelligent, a critical reader, and who would be brutally honest with me. My younger sister. She doesn't love young adult, but she does love a good story, no matter the genre. She told me in no uncertain terms that one of them was good and the other was great. Because she's brilliant, I took her advice and started buckling down on the one she said had the most potential.  

I'm so glad I did.  

The process went just like we're always told it should. After I had a clean third draft of the book (with feedback from my sister), I sent it out to my first round of critique partners, who all read extensively in my category (YA) and genre (contemporary/romance). They gave me outstanding feedback that I tried my best to implement. 

Then I sent it out to my second round of CP's, this time half of whom read primarily outside my genre. Their sharp eyes caught problems I had never even considered. They weren't satisfied with the assumptions of the genre but demanded to be shown things I didn't realize were missing.  

By my third round of CP's, this time blended in their preferences, the feedback was getting nitpicky (which I asked for).  They liked it. A lot.

After that revision, I felt excited about my book.  I sent it to my beta readers, including well-read teen girls, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. They loved it. I loved it.  

I felt, not ready to query, but prepared to query.  

In every way, writing and revising this book has felt different from that book that I shelved. Not only have I taken pains to grow as much as I can as a writer, but--and I think this is at least as important as my growth--I have become much more open to feedback (the importance of which Gina recently explained perfectly). Being able to humbly accept the opinions of my trusted friends and, in some cases, taking time to understand the root problem they had with an area when the feedback may not have felt right on the surface, has made a huge difference in the quality of this book compared to the last one. Then, I'd rejected feedback that didn't make me feel good. This time, I sought it out. I leaned into the discomfort as much as I could, even when pride begged me to reject it.  I didn't, and my story is so, so much better for it.

In other words, holy #$&@!*#^@$* (I'm not sure which curse word that's supposed to reflect...maybe all of them? Or, um, I mean none. It's none swear words. This is a family establishment, people!)... Sorry, where was I? Oh, right! Holy COW, do we need critique partners, inside and outside of our genre. The insiders will know what's fresh, what's stale, what's unappealing to readers, what's intriguing. Meanwhile, the outsiders will call us on every trope and cliche that even the most discerning readers in our genre may have become desensitized to and force us to write what needs to be written. 

While all feedback may not work for our novel, we have to think long and hard and humbly about the critiques that will help us write the story we've meant to write all along. Our critique partners probably all deserve a hug or a basket of goodies or a Chipotle run for putting up with us, don't they? I know mine do.  :)

I'm excited about this next phase of my writing. I know that my agent and I will work through more revisions than I can currently imagine. No matter what happens, though, I pray that I'll see every step as an opportunity to become a better writer and, hopefully, half as good a critique partner for my dear friends as they are for me.  

What's your experience with critique partners? Need recommendations on where to find a CP? Or do you want to find one HERE, within this very community? If you're looking for a CP, comment below with your category (target age group) and genre and hopefully we can make some (book) love connections! 

How to Receive Criticism

I just got my third round of criticism back on this particular WiP, from three different readers this time. Different readers give me different things to work on, and everyone has their own style of offering criticism, but one thing always remains the same:

Criticism stings.

Always. Forever and ever, this will continue to be true. Whenever we send our work out, no matter how practical and realistic we are, there is one tiny portion of our brain that thinks, "Maybe they'll love everything about it!" This thought is absurd, of course, for many reasons.

First - I WANT criticism to be tough. Not harsh or cruel, of course, but tough. I want someone to point out the flaws. I cannot eradicate those flaws until I know they exist.

Second - No one ever loves everything about anything. Even my very favorite book has flaws, my very favorite movie has at least one goof in it, my very favorite band has a single or two that I feel pretty "meh" about, and my very favorite people in the world even have ... opportunities for improvement.

Third - The people who claim to love absolutely everything about everything ever... are lying. I do not want someone lying to me about my work. How can I possibly know when something is actually good? How will I know when I'm ready, if the only criticism I receive is false?

I won't.

That's the bottom line, and that's why I want people to criticize my work. There are some rules that go along with receiving criticism, though, and I thought I'd share with you my personal rules for being on the receiving end of a critique:

- Always start with a genuine "thank you." Before I respond to anything else, I thank the person for helping me. They spent their time and energy reading my unfinished, unpolished aspiring-book-to-be, and they didn't have to do any of it. That reader deserves my gratitude, even if nothing else on this list applies.

- Never go on the defensive. This is a rule I co-opted from the Writing Excuses team, but it's a really good one. If I read or listen to a critique and spend the whole time saying, "Yeah, but..." then I'm not really listening. It's true that the criticism might be wrong. But it might not be. And in case it's not, I need to keep an open mind and be ready to hear what people are telling me.

- Always let it stew. I don't jump into revisions the day I get notes back. I read the edit letter, let it stew for a day or two. Then I read the inline notes, let them stew for a few more days. Then, and only then, do I start making changes. Once I've had a chance to think, to get rid of the "Well that's obviously wrong because no one understands my art!" feelings, and to brainstorm some possible fixes... that's when I'm ready to revise and incorporate those notes.

- Never dismiss an idea straight off. Some suggestions will be obviously the exact right fixes for the story. Others will be good fodder for brainstorms, but ultimately off-the-mark. And still others will be wildly inappropriate for the story, for me as a writer, or for the world in general. But I will never know which is which until I've really thought them through, and sometimes I won't know until I try to work the changes in.

- Sometimes go back and discuss more changes. There are times that a CP makes suggestions that aren't quite right, but they do highlight problem areas in my manuscript. In those cases, brainstorming sessions can be extremely useful, and it's incredibly helpful to be humble enough to go back to the CP and say, "Hey, you suggested this thing, and it's not going to work for this reason, but can you help me find a different way to fix it?"

A couple more quick parting tips about receiving critiques:

- Never insult your reader.
- Don't jump to incorporate every change.
- Use multiple layers of critique (send out one wave, revise, send to different readers, revise again, etc)
- Don't delete CP/Beta notes. You never know when you'll want those notes, even if you don't incorporate those changes right away.

What other tips do you have for receiving criticism on your work?

Your Job as a Good CP

You know you need a CP. Or, a critique partner, if you're not into initialisms.

BTW - Sorry, if you're not into initialisms, but this is the internet. So.

You know how to find a good CP. You visited CPSeek.com and you trolled on twitter and you found eleven people to read your MS and six of them actually read it and two of them gave you feedback that was useful and now

YAY YOU HAVE A CP!!!

But wait.

Now YOU have to be the CP.

And that comes with some responsibilities. This isn't a one-sided relationship; you can't just send work out into the void, demanding that others help you improve your craft while offering nothing in return.

You want to be a good CP, you want to give helpful feedback, and you want to build a good relationship with these people.

Here's how you do that. In eight simple steps.

1. Pay attention to what kind of feedback they are looking for. Depending on where they are in the process, some people are looking for big-picture feedback (pacing, character development, story plausibility, etc) or they are looking at the minutiae (grammar, spelling, punctuation, word choice, etc).

If your CP wants big-picture feedback because this is only the second draft, and you spend all your energy nitpicking on the little stuff, you're doing it wrong.

If your CP wants a proofread and you tell her to delete a character, you're doing it wrong.

2. Provide "unwanted" feedback only if it is REALLY important. If you're going to step outside the bounds of what your CP asked for, you better have a reaaaaalllllly good reason for it. Like, they better have a plot hole a train could drive through for you to make that suggestion.

3. Be honest. Feedback is useless if it doesn't address the real issues at hand. Yes. It might hurt their feelings. Yes. It might be brutal. But you absolutely need to tell them. If this "unique fantasy setting" is full of tall graceful elves and surly dwarves and warmongering orcs... you need to help your CP out.

The purpose of critique is to get better. Not to wallow in a cloud of self-congratulatory stink.

4. Be kind. Just because you're being honest doesn't mean you need to be cruel. Point out all the things that need fixing, yes, absolutely. But then point out all the things that are working, too. Even if it's something small, point it out. Those little things might make all the difference to a writer's fragile ego.

Also, saying things in a nice way helps a lot. Compare:

"This is stupid."

versus

"This doesn't feel believable to me."

Both phrases point out a logical fallacy in the story, but the second one is specific and not accusatory towards the writer's intelligence. We all make mistakes. No need to be mean about it.

5. Be as specific as possible. Sending back a MS with whole lot of "this is good" and "this is bad" doesn't help anything. But commenting on WHY something is good or bad or funny or confusing is incredibly helpful.

Use Track Changes, Comments, and even highlighting to address specific issues and really talk about why something does or does not work for you. Compare:

"Your voice is weak."

versus

"In these 136 instances, you used passive voice or -ing verbs that weakened your action and emotions."

Which one is more helpful? Which one would YOU be able to implement more easily if you were the writer?

6. Be willing to brainstorm.  Offer ideas on how to tackle a specific problem, but treat it like you're throwing spaghetti at the wall, just watching to see what will stick. Offer up several, if not dozens, of ideas on how to address an issue. Offer up serious suggestions and absurd suggestions and boring suggestions and cliched suggestions - your job here is to just get the wheels turning.

7. Let it go. It's not your work. After you've made suggestions and after you've helped to brainstorm, it is not your job to convince the writer to use your ideas.

Let me repeat that:

It. Is. Not. Your. Job. to convince the writer to use your ideas.

Yes. They might make the wrong decisions. It doesn't matter. It's not your work, it's not your name on the cover, and it's not up to you. Let it go.

8. Provide emotional support. Writing is hard. Writing is also full of rejection and rejection is hard. We can't realistically whine about it all over the internet, and we all need someone we can lean on emotionally. Someone who gets it. When your CP gets a rejection, it's your job to bolster her up. Provide encouragement, remind them of what they do well, and point them in the direction of their next effort. ("That sucks that this agent rejected you. But your novel is so cute and romantic, people will love it. Query that other agent instead.")

What else do you think is your job as a critique partner?

"Can I Read It?"

by Katy White

This year, I've finished two different first drafts, and I'm honestly thrilled about both of them.  Don't get me wrong, I'm sure when I start the second drafts, I'll realize they're absolute rubbish.  But writing them was energizing, and I didn't have any prolonged moments of, "Oh crap, where do I go now?"  I feel like that's a success in its own right. And, to revisit one of my favorite quotes:

“Every first draft is perfect because all the first draft has to do is exist. It's perfect in its existence. The only way it could be imperfect would be to NOT exist.” 


―Jane Smiley

As much as it scared me to admit to my friends and family my dream of becoming a writer, I decided to do it.  I posted on Facebook that I was participating in NaNoWriMo, and explained what it was.  I was relieved to see so much support from my peeps, and some of them even became great cheerleaders for me.  So when I posted that I had won NaNo and finished my novel, I felt on top of the world!

Then comments like these started appearing:

Katy White!!!!!!! You are my hero!! Love ya girl!! Can I read it pretty please???
That's amazing!! You are awesome! Can I read it too? I need some good reading 
So awesome! I knew you could do it.  Can't wait to read it!
Seriously, I need to read it now.

Sigh.

I've asked several writing friends about their experiences having friends and family read their work, and it's been pretty unanimously crummy.  Like mine.  What's up with that?  My first novel is the novel of my heart, and when my siblings and Dad and best friends asked to read it, I just assumed that, of course they'd actually read it!  And they'd love it!  And if they didn't love it, they'd still give me really, really good feedback that would help me make it so darn amazing, that it would sell a humble hundred thousand copies.  (Okay, so maybe me expectations weren't realistic.  I see that now.)

What I wasn't prepared for is people not reading it.  Of my four absolute best friends in the world, each a bibliophile whose favorite genre was my novel's genre, only one of them read it.  She reads two books a week, yet it took her four months.   Slap to the face.  And the slaps kept coming.

That isn't to say that no one read it, and it isn't to say that no one loved it or gave me incredible, much needed feedback.  Because that stuff happened, too.  But the negative experiences overwhelmed the positive ones to the point that I vowed to never again send a book until I was good and jaded enough not to let this hurt me.  Or, at least not to send it out so naively.

Fast forward to my current predicament of having super kind, well-intentioned friends who don't actually know they don't want to read my book.  They'll say that it's because it's so hard to read a book online, they'll ask if I can send them a hard copy, and they'll explain all about their computer problems.  Some of it will be legitimate, too.  But all of it will be disheartening.

Now I face the task of explaining to these well-intentioned friends that I have multiple drafts to do still that will take several months.  I need to explain to those whose interest still exists after all that that they can only read it if they promise that they're willing to give me real, hard feedback by a certain deadline, even if it's only to say, "I hate the title."  And through this, I hope I'll help some of the nice ones realize that the kindest thing to do is to not commit to something they can't or won't actually follow-through on.

Gina's recent post gave great suggestions and a helpful resource for finding critique partners.  But in general, how do you respond to "Can I read it?"

What Makes the Perfect Critique Partner

I have some of the best critique partners in the whole world. I'm really sorry if you think your critique partners are the best in the whole world, because they're not. Mine are.

At least, they're the best for me.

And that's really the quest, isn't it? To find the very best partner for you. So how do you go about doing it? And how do you know when you've found it?

I don't know.

Much like falling in love, finding the perfect CP is a lot about how well you two mesh together, how well you "get" each other, and that undefinable je ne sais quoi. But here are some tips to help you get started, and hopefully avoid some of the worst pitfalls.

The perfect CP communicates the same way you do. 
If you're a twitter junkie and this prospective CP thinks twitter is for the birds (see what I did there? Eh???), you might be a poor match. If this prospective CP wants to Skype everyday and that bugs the crap out of you, you might be a poor match. You're going to be communicating with each other. A LOT. It should be comfortable for both of you.

(to be honest, though - my best CPs have become my friends and we tweet, facebook, email, gchat, skype, text, and visit in person. so.)

The perfect CP understands your genre AND category. 
You definitely do not want someone leaving six comments on every page saying, "This is too complicated, simplify it!" if your writing actually is quite clear. But if you write adult literary fiction and your CP writes MG science fiction... you're going to have this problem.

You don't have to write the same genre and category as your CP, but you need to understand each other's work. One of my favorite CPs writes YA fantasy. I don't write YA, but I read A LOT of it (in addition to the adult fantasy I read, of course), so I feel capable of giving her useful feedback.

The perfect CP needs the same amount of help you do. 
If you need help brainstorming ideas, structuring your story, building character arcs, understanding grammar, pacing, resolving conflicts, and layering metaphors, but your CP only needs someone to proofread their copy... you're not a good match. She's your mentor, not your partner.

Partners are equal, or at least semi-equal. One of you should not be pulling the other along through the marshes of this crazy world we call writing, you should be helping each other. If one of you is pulling the other, it's a mentorship. If you have one of those, be grateful for it and be on the lookout to be a mentor to someone else when the time comes.

The perfect CP does not need help with the same things as you. 
This would be like the blind leading the blind.

The perfect CP gets your style. 
Personal story (because the rest of this post has been so impersonal, you know): I once traded manuscripts with someone who tore my book to shreds. She changed every verb, crossed out and re-worded literally every sentence, questioned my characters, ridiculed my focus, said, "You've written a character-driven story, and I really think it needs to be a milieu-based story instead."

Guess what?

I didn't make any of those changes.

She didn't get me or my book. She wanted a different book, she wanted something that I wasn't writing, and she wasn't willing to see past her own preferences to see what I was doing. And that's totally okay. She's a perfectly good writer and she's the right partner for somebody. Somebody else. 

So there you have it. Five tips to help you identify the perfect CP. I found mine on twitter, you can find them through writing groups (like ANWA *shameless plug*), or you can check out this excellent site, CPSeek.com , where I also found two of my favorite CPs.

Go forth and find your match.

Constructive Critiquing

by Katy White

A few months ago, I entered a contest on a popular writer's blog where I entered the first 250 words of my MS.  The prize was that an unnamed agent would instantly request a partial from you if she liked your first page.  No painstakingly crafted, thoughtfully personalized query letter, no stress about whether or not my formatting would somehow go wonky in cyberspace, leading to a form rejection.  There was no gatekeeper to getting noticed.  Just me.  And 250 flipping words.

Fifty people were chosen at random to be part of the contest (including me!  Squee!), and the entrants were required to comment on other entries.  I was disheartened when I read the feedback from my fellow contestants.  I mentioned the weather in my first paragraph!  Had I lost my mind?  Didn't I know that was the ultimate no-no in any novel?  Form rejection, dummy!   Even with skin thickened by eight older brothers, this was a little much.

Well, I won the contest (the compliments came after that).  The agent requested pages.  And she posted on my entry that the reason was my dialogue.  I had two teenagers, my main character and her best friend, talking in a hallway, just messing with each other, but I could feel when I was writing it that it worked.  The confirmation from the agent that it worked gratified and encouraged me. 

Interestingly, none of the other entrants mentioned my dialogue.  They only mentioned what they thought sucked.  And it was awful!  I felt stupid and small and defensive and like they were trying to convince me that I clearly didn't have any business in this business when I felt like I did.

The agent ultimately rejected me, but she gave me incredible feedback about my pages.  She told me the things that she loved, like my main character (phew!), voice, and dialogue.  And she told me the things that didn't work, too.  She showed me some big, gaping flaws that I hadn't noticed after hundreds of read-throughs.  But she gave the feedback in such a way that I felt confident I could fix the problems she'd identified.  The feedback was specific, blunt-but-not-jerky, and very badly needed.  She did me a kindness by telling me the good and the bad.  It was empowering.

This experience made me realize that critiquing is as much art as it is the "science" of writing.  And in that vein, I'd like to suggest a few tips on constructive critiquing*:

-Be honest.  You're of no use to your partner if you can't tell her where the story or characters or plot don't work.  She needs to know that the big reveal on page 232 directly contradicts every plot point that led up to that point.  Care enough about your CP to tell her the truth.

-Be encouraging.  Find the things that work about your partner's style and writing, and frame your feedback and suggestions around those strengths.  If someone writes long, beautiful, descriptive settings, but those are just filling the pages, don't tell her how boring it is, help her see how using that skill is more powerful when it's used at the right moments.

-Be humble.  You probably know a lot about writing if you're being asked to critique another person's work, but your partner knows a lot about her written world and what she's trying to accomplish.  So if you've given the feedback that you think 2nd person future POV is awkward to read and she chooses to stay with it, help her find ways to make the story work within her chosen parameters.

I'm sure I'm overlooking a lot of tips, but I'd love to hear some of yours.  What do you look for in a critique partner?  What do you look for when you're critiquing?  

*Always confirm with your CP the level of critique that she wants.

On Criticism

It’s something we all have to face as writers: criticism.

I have decided there are two things a writer needs in order to deal with criticism, and you might think they are contradictory, but if you have them in balance, then you’ll be able to handle criticism with ease. The two things are these: humility and confidence.

So, humility. To put it simply, you have to accept the fact that even though you might be a very good writer, there will always be room to improve. Even Stephen King relies on beta readers and editors. He knows he will write things that just won’t work, things that don’t make sense to the reader, and that he will get wordy and carried away sometimes. We all do. It’s a fact. And that’s why we need people around us who will tell us so, and why we need to have the ability to admit we are less than perfect.

The best thing about criticism? It makes us better. I have never submitted something for a critique and come away from it without finding some way to make my work better. We all have a form of “shelf blindness” when it comes to our work. It’s the same kind of thing as people with body odor who don’t notice because they’re used to it. It’s just the way life is.

So, in a nutshell, you’re not perfect. And that’s okay. Deal with it.

The second thing you need is confidence. To put it simply, you have to remember that not only are you not perfect, but nobody else is either. That includes those who critique your work. They might make suggestions, but at the end of the day, it’s still your work and you need to have enough confidence in yourself to say, “I see what they mean by that comment, but this is my work and I am choosing not to change that particular thing.” That doesn’t make you a snob or a bad person- it’s your work, not theirs. You are allowed to respectfully disagree.

Keep in mind, however, that if you have an editor or an agent who has agreed to represent your work, then in a way it becomes theirs too, so you might want to bend a little bit more with their suggestions; but even so, remember it’s your name people will see on the cover, so if it doesn’t feel true to you, then don’t do it- just be prepared for the consequences.

So, the next time you send one of your WIP babies out in the world to be judged, remember that it will probably get picked apart a little bit- and that’s okay. That just means it’s growing and getting better. But also remember that you still have the right to take it back and give it a cuddle and tell it it’s awesome and know that it is. Because after all, you made it. :-)

Saturday So What: Marinate

     I love  to watch the Food channel.  Ironic, I know. I can't cook and I have a weight loss book coming out. Go figure.
     Anyway, I was watching Chopped, and they kicked a chef off the show because her pork didn't have enough flavor. She didn't let it marinate long enough, and so the meat was bland.
     Recently, I got some feedback from a beta reader/ editor type person. My story didn't have enough flavor. I needed another ingredient. He suggested that I move a character that was introduced in the second half of the book, all the way up to the second chapter. = Major rewrites.
     I kicked, I screamed. I may have cried and cursed a little. I hated the idea. It was horrible and I rejected it out of hand. Then I went to sleep. And the idea marinated in my brain with the story. The next day it begrudgingly marinated a little more. By the third day I had rewritten the first three chapters to reflect the change.
     My friend was right. The extra character got me out of the 1st person POV trap (post coming next week). I needed that character to draw my heroine out and advance the story. She added just the right amount of bite and flavor. Sometimes ideas need that time to marinate. To really sink into your brain.
     My advice, when you get a critique from a friend, or a reader, or your group -- don't dismiss it out of hand. I know, the instinct is defense mode and protecting the integrity of your vision. Just hear it, and let it stew for a while. Let it marinate and then decide if it adds the right amount of flavor to your story.

The "Why" of Critiques

If you've spent enough time hopping around blogs or how-to books on writing, you've probably heard this sage advice to improve your writing skills: Get regular, peer feedback. It's almost as important to the health of your manuscript as regular dental check-ups are to the health of your smile.

Why? No matter how many hours you spend staring at the text on the computer, you will never catch all of your mistakes. Even when you know your manuscript upside down, inside out and backwards in Latin, little but glaringly obvious errors will slip by. Feedback gives you a fresh pair of eyes that aren't married to your story. It makes a difference. Even software spellcheckers can't find every problem.

Also, as a writer, criticism comes with the territory. If you walk around barefoot all summer, by the end of the season the task becomes easier - little pebbles and twigs are less of a nuisance, because you've toughened the skin on the soles of your feet. Getting honest (and hopefully positive) feedback now will toughen your writer's skin for the day when the harsher words start flying (and they will occasionally).

And, writing is a solitary hobby. Critique groups and critique partners are another form of networking that creates connections with other's who get you. The crazy writer side of you, the one at which your husband and children raise an eyebrow in deep concern...

...like when you start having arguments with your MC who just won't do what you tell him to....Aaaggghh!

And there's other reasons too - please share your thoughts and leave a comment!

P.S. Tune in next week for part II of this topic....

Good Beta, Bad Beta

"Beta" is a relatively new term in the writing world, but I think most of you are familiar with it. I've heard two different definitions of it. The first definition is where you give your manuscript to someone to pick apart, line by line, chapter by chapter. The whole kit and caboodle.  The other is someone who does a quicker read through, and comments on things like plot holes, character development, tension, and story arc, leaving the line by line to others.

Some people like to differentiate between them by calling the quick reader "Alpha" and the more methodical reader "Beta". So as you hear these terms bandied about, you can have a good idea of what they mean.

Soooooo.....anyway. I have a WIP that I had written a lot in. A lot for me, that is. But the story had stalled, and I hoped that by having an "alpha" read, I could get some feedback and see where there were problems.

A week later I got a shortish email that basically said that while she enjoyed the first few chapters, it started to get confusing, so she stopped. And that was it.

Needless to say, the already stalled story completely derailed. I haven't so much as looked at it in months. In desperation about a month ago I talked another writer friend into doing another alpha. I didn't hear back for a while, and then I heard from her that she was going through some personal difficulties, so it would be a little longer. I forgot that I even had it out as I worked on other things.

Then I got that alpha back a couple of days ago, with comments that helped me know WHERE it got confusing, what issues needed to be cleared up, places where it needed more characterization, etc. It was a great critique. And for the first time in a long time, I'm anxious to finish this and get it polished for the Muse It Up Conference in October. Maybe I'll actually try to pitch it to an editor or agent....

So my point in all this is...if you're asked to give an Alpha or Beta read, consider these things carefully:

1. Do I have time to do either of these types of critiques? Can I be fair about that with the writer?

2. Which one would play to my strengths? Do I do better with grammar, sentence structure, etc.? Or do I prefer to look for plot issues, characterization confusion, etc.?

3. Can I be tactful, but thorough? Can I share my concerns with the writer without making it personal?

4. Am I open to questions from the writer? Will I get defensive if he/she wants clarification of my comments?

5. Can I be impartial about the writing? Am I too close (or not close enough) of a friend to be honest? Do I feel like I would have to tiptoe around the person if I said it needed work?

There are lots of other places online that give great instructions on how to be a good secondary reader. If you're interested in giving and receiving alpha or beta reads, then please, I suggest reading up on it, so you know what to expect.